News – Page 30 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

CYCLING CANADA INVITES COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HALL OF FAME 2016 SELECTIONS

(Ottawa, ON – June 8, 2016) Cycling Canada is pleased to announce that the second induction class for the Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame will take place October 1 & 2, 2016 in conjunction with the Milton International Track Challenge being held at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Ontario. The Milton facility now hosts the Hall of Fame area on the ground floor level.

The Hall of Fame allows us to showcase our history and remember those athletes and builders that have brought the sport to its current position. The HOF provides a historical context as well as inspiring current and future athletes to greater accomplishments.

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In this second year of the Hall of Fame the intent is to have up to eight (8) members selected including a minimum of one in the Builder category and one early era selection in the Athlete category. The plan is move to a nomination process in the third year.

A working group struck by the Cycling Canada Board of Directors has developed a curated list of retired athletes and builders, some of whom are still active, that comprise the List of 2016 Candidates. The working group has not included currently active athletes on the ballot.

The final selections for 2016 will be made by the Cycling Canada Board of Directors based on the ranking by the working group and the public input provided through an online vote. We encourage members of the cycling community to go to the ballot and vote for the candidates.

The candidates, presented in alphabetical order, are as follows:

EARLY ERA ATHLETES
1908 Men’s Team Pursuit	1908 Olympic Bronze medal – 4000m Team Pursuit: William Anderson, Walter Andrews, Frederick McCarthy, Willie Morton
Lew ELDER	1/4 mile and 25 mile World Records, 1928 Olympic Team
Pierre GACHON	First North American to ride in the Tour de France (1937), Professional 6-day racer
Archie McEACHERN	World Champion-1900; 5 mile paced world record-1902
Robert McLEOD	Gold medal 10 mile mass start 1934 British Empire Games, Muliple international wins and placings
Willie SPENCER	2/3rds mile world record-1923; American championship-1922/23/26; world record-standing start 440 yard; world indoor titles-1922/23/25
BUILDERS
Russell COUPLAND	Former President Canadian Wheelman’s Assoc. (CCA) – Managed Cycling Olympic Team 1928 & 1932 – Officiated at 6 day races – Race organizer at Grassroots level in Toronto at the CNE fair grounds
GESTEV	25 years of Mountain Bike World Cup & World Championship production, Hosted MTB Worlds in 1998 and 2010
Brian JOLLY	1968 Olympic cyclist for GB, multi-term CCA President (1993-2002), Board of Hamilton Road Worlds, Board of Hamilton Foundation, UCI Road & MTB Commission, Chairman of Tour of Alberta
Louise LALONDE	Pioneering international female commissaire and trainer of generation of commissaires
ATHLETES
Lyne BESSETTE	Para-cycling Medals / Commonwealth Games gold medal, winner Tour de l’Aude, Pan Am Games silver medal, multiple international wins and placings
Cindy DEVINE	(Downhill World Champion-1990, finished top-5 in the first 5 World Championships)
Gord FRASER	1996 Olympic Team, Most successful professional sprinter in North America, 15KM ITT record holder for many years, 2 x Tour de France participant
Ron HAYMAN	Member 1972/76 Olympics teams, Tour of Somerville winner, Coors Classic stage winner, top amateur in Belgium (1979), Tour of Ireland winner, multiple international wins and placings
Linda JACKSON	Commonwealth Games silver medal, World Championships bronze, HP International stage race winner, multiple international stage race wins and placings
Marie-Helene PREMONT	2004 Olympic silver, 2 time Olympian, World Cup wins and champion, Commonwealth Games Gold, 6 time Canadian National MTB Champion
Alex STIEDA	First North American to wear Tour de France Yellow Jersey, captured five classification jerseys in the TdeF and won a Commonwealth Games bronze medal
Karen STRONG	World Championship silver and bronze medals and multiple international wins and placings
Brian WALTON	Silver medal-1996 Olympics, Pan Am gold medal, World Cup victories and placings, multiple international victories and placings, won Milk Race
Kelly Ann WAY	First Canadian to wear Women’s Tour de France yellow jersey, multiple wins and placings
Eric WOHLBERG	Gold medal ITT & Bronze Medal RR at 1998 Commonwealth Games, Winner 2000 Tour of the Gila, Multiple Canadian ITT National Titles

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June 8, 2016/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA WELCOMES VITTORIA AS OFFICIAL TIRE SUPPLIER

(Ottawa, ON – June 8, 2016) Canada’s top cyclists will be rolling towards Rio on the world’s best tires and inner tubes thanks to a new partnership with Vittoria.

Vittoria has joined the growing family of Cycling Canada partners with a long-term commitment to provide its line of world class tires and inner tubes for National Cycling Team road and track programs.

Distributed in Canada by Outdoor Gear Canada, Vittoria is the world’s leading manufacturer of bicycle tires with annual production of more than 7 million tires. Its research & development center develops the best racing tires for all levels, especially the unique Corsa Series cotton tires.

Canada’s National Team will benefit from the new Graphene Thread technology with Open Corsa G+ clincher and the Corsa G+ tubular for road programs. The Track program will be using the Pista Evo CL and CS tubular, which are the fastest tires in the world according to independent tests.

“We are thrilled to have Vittoria on board as our official supplier of road and track tires,” said Jacques Landry, High Performance Director and Head Coach for Cycling Canada. “Vittoria has always been our first choice in tires as we know through testing that they are the best performing product on the market.”

ABOUT VITTORIA

Vittoria Industries Ltd. is an international group that acquired the famous premium cotton tubular tires producer Vittoria Spa in 1990. Vittoria has built highly reputable partnerships within in the cycling industry and created a distinct brand image. Today, Vittoria Industries is the world’s leading manufacturer of bicycle tires with an annual production of approximately 7 million tires and 900,000 high performance tubulars and cotton tires. Its research and development center develops the best racing tires at all levels. Vittoria’s worldwide commercial operations are shared among three distinct regions: Vittoria SpA is responsible for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America (EMEA & LATAM). Vittoria Industries North America, Inc., is responsible for North America. Vittoria Asia Pacific is responsible for Asia-Pacific region. The group holding company, Vittoria Industries Ltd, carries out manufacturing and R&D at its fully owned Lion Tyres Thailand Ltd factory in Bangkok.

June 8, 2016/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA MOURNS PASSING OF JOCELYN LOVELL

(Ottawa, ON – June 4, 2016) On Friday, one of the giants of cycling in Canada passed away – Jocelyn Lovell. Cycling Canada joins the rest of the cycling world in mourning the passing of this icon, at age 65.

John Tolkamp, President of Cycling Canada, said, “On behalf of Cycling Canada, we would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of one of Canada’s greatest cyclists, Jocelyn Lovell. Throughout his career, that was cut short, he was a fierce competitor who enjoyed international acclaim for both his style and accomplishments.‎ Canada has lost one of our most formidable and respected cyclists.”

Jocelyn Lovell won more than 35 national titles, on road and track, at every distance. He represented Canada at three Olympic Games (1968, 1972 and 1976), and won six Commonwealth Games medals, include four golds, as well as a world championship silver medal (1978) and gold medals at two Pan Am Games (1971, 1975). Lovell set records that stood for decades, and inspired generations of Canadian stars, including Steve Bauer, Curt Harnett and Gordon Singleton. Last Fall, Jocelyn became a member of the inaugural induction to the Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame.

Tragically, Jocelyn Lovell’s career was cut short when he was hit by a dump truck on August 4, 1983, while training near his home. The accident resulted spinal cord injuries and Lovell became a quadriplegic. For the rest of his life, Jocelyn became a tireless advocate for spinal cord research.

Former team mates on the national team have spoken to his skill, determination and sense of humour.

Gordon Singleton, the 1982 Keirin world champion, won a gold medal with Lovell at the 1978 Commonwealth Games, in Edmonton. “Jocelyn’s storied career had many moments of bright shining stars. His determination to win came from deep within his personality. Sometimes this driving force got him into a little trouble, LOL. Putting that aside, Jocelyn was one of the pioneers in Canadian cycling that paved the way internationally for people like myself, Steve Bauer and Curt Harnett. Jos was absolutely one of the best bike handlers I have ever seen. Today, I’m sad to hear of his passing yet humbled to have the memory of winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal in Tandem sprint riding as his partner.”

Steve Bauer, Olympic silver medalist and holder of the Tour de France Yellow Jersey for 14 days, rode with Lovell at the 1978 Commonwealth Games and many other events, and considers him a mentor, “It’s impossible to capture in a few sentences the great experiences I enjoyed as a young cyclist by Jocelyn’s side. I learned from JL as he went about his unique ways. We had a great connection and I am fortunate to have been close to Jos in that time. It was fun to be around JL but we knew when racing our bikes it was time to be serious.”

“Never idle, JL had a brilliant innovative mind and was superb athlete who knew how to perform. His bike handling skill and timely speed were abilities I tried to mimic. My memories are full of great moments Jos, a team mate, a friend. RIP, the suffering has come to an end.”

June 4, 2016/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES 2017 CHAMPIONSHIP LOCATIONS

Ottawa-Gatineau, Panorama, Canmore, Calgary, Sherbrooke and Milton to host Canadian Championship Events

(Ottawa, ON – June 2, 2016) Cycling Canada has announced the dates and host locations for its 2017 Canadian Championships series. Canada’s top cyclists across all cycling sports will be treated to top-notch venues and experienced organizers throughout the entire series.

Alongside the confirmation of the 2017 Canadian Championship host venues, Cycling Canada has announced a new multi-year partnership with Lexus Canada, which will see Lexus become the official presenting sponsor of all Canadian Road and Track Cycling Championships events. The partnership will present Lexus with unique and exclusive customer engagement opportunities at each of these major events.

The Global Relay Canadian Road Championships presented by Lexus will return to Ottawa (ON) and Gatineau (QC) from June 24-28, 2017. Organizers will build on their experience from 2016 as riders from across the country are welcomed to the National Capital Region during Canada’s 150^th anniversary celebrations. The 2017 Road Championships will showcase the para-cycling, junior and elite categories over five consecutive days of racing in both provinces.

Panorama Resort (BC) will provide the ultimate backdrop for downhillers looking to clinch the Canadian Championship title at the 2017 edition of the Canadian Downhill Mountain Bike Championships. The 2017 event, scheduled for July 15-16, will bring riders to one of Canada’s most iconic mountain villages, offering accommodation, restaurants and entertainment just minutes from the chairlift. With Panorama serving as a recent staple in the Canada Cup DH Series, riders should expect the same level of fast, technical courses they have come to expect for the big event.

Canmore (AB) will make a triumphant return to Canada’s National Mountain Bike calendar as host town of the 2017 & 2018 Canadian Mountain Bike Cross-Country Championships. The Championships will take place from July 22-23 at the iconic Canmore Nordic Centre in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Taking place just one week before the 2017 Canada Summer Games, this event will provide an excellent opportunity for some of the country’s best athletes to test their form before heading to Winnipeg.

BMXers will once again gather in Calgary (AB) for the 2017 edition of the Canadian BMX Championships. The event will take place from August 25-27 and will also serve as the Canada Cup BMX Series Finale. Building on the excitement of the 2016 Canadian Championships, this event promises to be one of Canada’s marquee BMX events for 2017, attracting the nation’s top athletes. The track in Calgary is located just minutes from the city’s vibrant downtown, abundant amenities, as well as the Calgary International Airport.

Sherbrooke (QC) will return as the host of the 2017 Canadian Cyclocross Championships. Hosted by the Club Cycliste de Sherbrooke, the 2017 event will take place in beautiful Jacques-Cartier Park in the heart of Sherbrooke. With many years of provincial race organizing experience under their belt, organizers promise to provide a circuit that will challenge the nation’s best in one of the province’s most vibrant cities.

Milton, Ontario’s Mattamy National Cycling Centre will once again play host to two exciting weekends of racing for the 2017 Canadian Track Cycling Championships presented by Lexus. Junior and U17 riders from across Canada will gather in Milton for an early-season Championship event scheduled for spring 2017 while Elite, Master, and Paracycling athletes will hit the boards in fall 2017. Having played host to a largely successful Pan American Games in 2015, the track cycling legacy venue will provide a world-class stage for athletes of all ages to showcase the best in Canadian track cycling.

The 2017 Canadian Championships for Road Masters and Marathon Mountain Bike will be announced at a later date.

SUMMARY OF 2017 CANADIAN CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS SERIES

2017 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships p/b Lexus

Ottawa, ON/Gatineau, QC

June 24-28, 2017

Organizers: Doug Corner & John Large

2017 Canadian Mountain Bike DHI Championships

Invermere/Panorama, BC

July 15-16, 2017

Organizer: Stephen Exley & Panorama Mountain Resort

2017 Canadian Mountain Bike XCO Championships

Canmore, AB

July 22-23, 2017

Organizer: Rundle Mountain Cycling Club

2017 Canadian BMX Championships

Calgary, AB

August 25-27, 2017

Organizer: Calgary BMX Racing Association

2017 Canadian Track Cycling Championships p/b Lexus

Milton, ON

Juniors: Spring 2017 (date TBD)

Elite, Masters & Para: Fall 2017 (date TBD)

Organizer: Cycling Canada

2017 Canadian Cyclocross Championships

Sherbrooke, QC

Date TBC

Organizer: Club Cycliste de Sherbrooke

June 2, 2016/by Communications

CANADA TO SEND 13-STRONG TEAM TO JUNIOR TRACK WORLDS

(Ottawa, ON – April 28, 2016) Cycling Canada has announced the team of athletes that will represent Canada at the 2016 UCI Junior Track World Championships, to take place in Aigle, Switzerland, on July 20-24.

Following the well-attended and successful Canadian Junior Track Championships at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Ontario, 13 athletes were chosen for the World Championships project. Specific event participation will be determined closer to the event.

Five women and eight men from four provinces will compete in endurance and sprint events, including the Women’s Madison, a new event for the World Championships. The team will be led by Ian Melvin, Cycling Canada’s Men’s NextGen Track Endurance Coach. The team will undertake a preparation camp in Milton on July 2-14, before travelling to Aigle.

“It’s the biggest group of athletes we have taken to Junior Worlds for some years,” says Melvin, “and that is a reflection of the hard work that has been taking place in the provinces. There’s some really exciting young talent starting to emerge.”

“We have a complement of five men and women each for endurance and three male sprinters. The primary focus is very much in line with the elite national team and is focussed on Olympic events first and foremost. This means the Team Sprint and Team Pursuit will be the basis of our focus.”

“However, we are also excited about the potential of some of our athletes to ride very strongly in some of the individual events. In both the Omnium and Individual Pursuit we have strong contenders. Both Erin Attwell and Maggie Coles-Lyster on the women’s side, and John Willcox and Cameron Fitzmaurice for the men, will be riders to look out. As well, Stefan Ritter for the men’s Sprint will be one to watch.”

JUNIOR TRACK CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, AIGLE, SWITZERLAND – JULY 20-14

ENDURANCE – WOMEN

Erin J. Attwell (Victoria, BC)
Maggie Coles-Lyster (Maple Ridge, BC)
Devanney Collier (Edmonton, AB)
Laurie Jussaume (Contrecoeur, QC)
Ali Van Yzendoorn (Orillia, ON)

ENDURANCE – MEN

Cameron Fitzmaurice (West Vancouver, BC)
Tristan Guillemette (Trois-Rivières, QC)
Jordann Jones (Jerseyville, ON)
Félix Pelletier (Québec, QC)
John Willcox (Victoria, BC)

SPRINT – MEN

Adam Lefebvre (Oakville, ON)
Stefan Ritter (Edmonton, AB)
Nick Wammes (Bothwell, ON)

April 29, 2016/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA AND LOUIS GARNEAU LAUNCH 2016 CYCLING TEAM COLLECTION

(Ottawa, ON – April 08, 2016) At the upcoming Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Canadian cycling team uniforms from Louis Garneau Sports will blend cutting-edge technology with a nod to tradition.

This year, Team Canada will continue to sport the traditional light blue jersey with white sleeves and red maple leaves that dates back to the 1960s. This is the same iconic design as the one worn by Hall of Famers Alison Sydor, Jocelyn Lovell, Curt Harnett, Steve Bauer and Gord Singleton. Louis Garneau wore the kit himself in the 1984 Olympic Games and has been the producer of the Canadian National Cycling team kits ever since. The national symbol, the maple leaf, is visible on the rider from every angle, creating a strong visual impact.

The simple design disguises the forward-thinking technology associated with Garneau apparel, encompassing fabric construction, performance features, and moisture management. The 2016 edition will be the fastest and most comfortable Team Canada kit ever made thanks to extensive development work between apparel manufacturer Louis Garneau Sports and the aerodynamic expertise of Alphamantis Technologies. Directly involved at each stage of this collaboration were athletes and staff from Cycling Canada’s high performance programs. Canadian National Team athletes also underwent numerous fit sessions with Garneau to maximize aerodynamic efficiency.

“I could not be more proud of the tremendous development work that has been done with Cycling Canada,” said Founder and President Louis Garneau. “For months we have collaborated relentlessly in order to create the best-performing apparel for our cyclists at the Rio Games. We’ve put all of our expertise at the service of the team, and the result speaks for itself: state-of-the-art apparel that will allow our athletes to compete at the highest level and concentrate on their performance, not on the reliability of their equipment.”

“Cycling Canada is committed to providing our athletes with the best possible tools required to perform at the highest international level,” said Cycling Canada High Performance Director Jacques Landry. “We are proud to work with partners like Garneau who share this commitment and we are grateful for all the research, development and passion that has gone into delivering a world-class product to our world-class athletes.”

For the first time, authorized exact replica versions of the Team Canada jersey will be available for sale at select retailers that carry the Garneau product line at the end of May. A portion of the proceeds of each sale goes back to support the Canadian Olympic Team as well as Cycling Canada’s National Team programs.

ABOUT LOUIS GARNEAU

Louis Garneau Sports, a global company with its head office located in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC, is an international leader in the design and manufacture of sports clothing and accessories. The company has over 400 employees and is ever growing. Thanks to the sponsoring of high-profile international athletes and teams, and to the sale of its products in over 40 countries, the company is in constant progress and relentlessly centers its efforts on development and innovation. More than ever, athletes all around the world stand out and perform in outstanding fashion thanks to the Louis Garneau brand. For more information please visit www.louisgarneau.com.

April 8, 2016/by Communications

JUNIOR TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS CONCLUDE WITH MORE RECORDS FALLING

(Milton, ON – April 03, 2016) The Canadian Junior Track National Championships concluded on Sunday at the Mattamy Cycling Centre in Milton, Ontario, with titles awarded in three final events. National champions donned maple leaf jerseys in four categories – Under-17 Women and Men, and Under-19 (Junior) Women and Men.

The final day of competition opened with the Time Trial events; 500 metres for all categories except Junior Men, who raced 1000 metres. Sarah Van Dam of the Tripleshot team added another title to her collection in the Under-17 women, with a time of 38.232 seconds. Julia Gibson (Ottawa Bicycle Club) took silver and Kassandra Kriarakis (Kallisto-FCV) the bronze.

Riley Pickrell (Tripleshot), another multiple title winner, took the Under-17 Men’s title, setting a new Canadian record of 33.694 seconds. Justin Correa (Kallisto-FCV) won the silver medal and Joel Domingue (Equipe du Quebec) the bronze.

In the Junior Women’s event, Erin Attwell (Tripleshot) took her first title of the championship, beating rival Maggie Coles-Lyster (Tag Cycling) with a Canadian record time of 37.034 seconds. Lauriane Genest (Equipe du Quebec) took the bronze medal.

In the Junior Men’s 1000 metre competition, Sprint champion Stefan Ritter (Team Alberta) set a blazing fast time of 1:04.168 to win the gold medal. Cameron Fitzmaurice (Cycling BC / TaG) took silver and Adam Lefebvre (Kallisto-FCV) bronze.

After a brief break to catch their breath, riders were immediately back on the track for the Scratch Races. Sarah Van Dam was again the winner for the Under-17 women while Dawson MacDonald (NCCH p/b Dec Express) took the Under-17 men’s title with a well-timed breakaway attack. Maggie Coles-Lyster won her fifth title of these championships in the Junior Women’s race while Cameron Fitzmaurice took the Junior men’s championship.

The final event of the Championships was the Keirin, held only for the Junior women and men. Coles-Lyster took an incredible sixth title for the women, beating out Amelia Bell (NCCH p/b Dec Express) and Devaney Collier (Team Alberta). In the Men’s race it, to no one’s surprise, Stefan Ritter powering away from the other five riders to win easily his third title, a clean sweep of the individual Sprint events. Adam Lefebvre (Kallisto-FCV) was second and John Willcox (Cycling BC / TaG) third.

April 3, 2016/by Communications

COLES-LYSTER DOMINATES AT JUNIOR TRACK NATIONALS WITH FOUR TITLES IN TWO DAYS

(Milton, ON – April 02, 2016) Records continued to fall on Day 2 of the Canadian National Junior Track Championships, at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Ontario. Men and Women in the Under-17 and Under-19 (Junior) categories competed across three different events, with a total of 12 national titles awarded on Saturday.

The day began with the Individual Pursuit competition, which is especially critical for the Junior men and women since it will be a major factor in determining selection for the world championship team.

The Under-17 women’s title was taken by Sarah Van Dam, racing for the Victoria-based Tripleshot team, with a time of 2:35.810. Kassandra Kriarakis (Kallisto-FCV) won the silver medal and Julia Gibson (Ottawa Bicycle Club) the bronze.

In the Under-17 men’s competition, all three medallists broke the previous national record. Riley Pickrell (Tripleshot) took the gold medal with a time of 2:21.056, followed by Justin Correa (Kallisto-FCV) and Sydney Flageogle-Bray (NCCH p/b Dec Express).

In the Junior women’s competition Maggie Coles-Lyster (TaG Cycling), a first year Junior rider, won with a time of 2:29.788, just over a second ahead of Erin Attwell (Tripleshot). Laurie Jussaume (Equipe du Quebec) won the bronze medal. All three medallists beat the world championships qualifying time of 2:32.720.

In the Junior men’s Individual Pursuit, Felix Pelletier (Equipe du Quebec) was the champion with a time of 3:27.680, beating John Willcox (Cycling BC / TaG) while Cameron Fitzmaurice (Cycling BC / TaG) won the bronze medal. All three medallists successfully beat the world championships qualifying standard of 3:30.790.

In the second session of the day, attention turned to the Sprint competition and the Points Race. Kaitlyn Rauwerda (NCCH p/b Dec Express) took the Under-17 women’s title in the Points Race with a gutsy solo attack and held off the field for the win. Her teammate, Sydney Flageole-Bray, made a similarly bold move in the Under-17 men’s race, to lap the field and take the gold medal.

The Junior women’s Points Race saw Maggie Coles-Lyster take her second title of the day and third of the championships with a dominating performance that including winning three of six intermediate sprints. The Junior men’s competition started out as a battle between eventual winner Cameron Fitzmaurice and Jordan Jones (NCCH p/b Dec Express) until Jones was forced to retire after a crash that took down six riders in the last third of the race. Jones tried to continue after getting his bike repaired but eventually dropped out.

The day concluded with the Sprint competitions. Sarah Van Dam won the Under-17 women’s title in two straight rides over Kassandra Kriarakis, as did Riley Pickrell over Joel Domingue (Equipe du Quebec) in the Under-17 men. In the Junior women, Maggie Coles-Lyster picked up an incredible fourth national title (third of the day), ahead of Erin Attwell. Stefan Ritter (Team Alberta) repeated as the Junior men’s champion, in two straight rides over Nick Wammes (Kallisto-FCV). In Junior women’s qualifying, the top four riders all broke the national record in the 200-metre time trial, led by Coles-Lyster.

The Junior Track Championships conclude on Sunday, with the Time Trial events, the Scratch, Keirin and Elimination races.

April 2, 2016/by Communications

RECORD TIMES AT JUNIOR TRACK NATIONALS ON DAY 1

(Milton, ON – April 01, 2016) The 2016 Canadian Junior Track Championships got off to a strong start on Friday at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Ontario, with three Canadian records set.

Day 1 of the Junior Nationals saw the team events contested – the Team Sprint and Team Pursuit – for the Under-17 and Under-19 (Junior) categories.

The Team Sprint saw Canadian records set in both the Junior Women’s and Men’s categories. The British Columbia composite squad TaG Tripleshot, consisting of Erin Atwell and Maggie Coles-Lyster broke the existing record in their qualifying ride, and then broke it again in the gold medal final, with a time of 36.339 seconds. Teams of Ontario (Amelia Bell/Charlotte Cresswicke) took silver, with a time that also would have broken the old record. Team Quebec 2 (Laurie Jussaume/Marie Alexandre Lemire) took bronze.

In the Junior Men’s Team Sprint, Teams of Ontario (Adam Lefebvre/Lucas Taylor/Nick Wammes) qualified first and then broke the national record in the final, with a time of 49.268 seconds. Team Quebec (Gabriel Drapeau Zgoralski/Tristan Guillemette/Felix Pelletier) took silver.

In the Under-17 category for Team Sprint, the composite team of Quebec Tripleshot (Simone Boilard/Sarah Van Dam) took gold for the women and the B.C. composite squad TaG Cannondale Tripleshot (Tyler Davies/Ethan Ogrodniczuk/Riley Pickrell) came from behind to win the men’s title in the final half lap.

The Team Pursuit saw only the Under-17 titles contested, with most of the Junior riders opting to forego the event to save their energy for Saturday’s world championship qualification competition in the Individual Pursuit. Teams of Ontario (Elizabeth Archbold/Kassandra Kriarakakis/Kaitlyn Rauwerda/Victoria Slater) took the U17 Women’s title, while the men’s teams of Ontario squad (Giuseppe Carone/Justin Correa/Sydney Flageole-Bray/Dawson MacDonald) broke the existing record in their qualifying heat, and then broke it again in the gold medal final, setting a new standard of 3:25.239 .

Competition continues on Saturday, with the Individual Pursuit, Sprint and Points Races.

April 1, 2016/by Communications

NEXTGEN MTE PROGRAM EVOLVES INTO TEAM RACECLEAN

(Ottawa, ON – March 29, 2016) Cycling Canada’s men’s track endurance program continues to progress and will compete in 2016 as Team RaceClean.

The NextGen MTE program was launched two years ago with the goal of being medal contenders in the men’s team pursuit at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The team remains firmly on target to achieve that goal after the 2015-16 track season that included a top-10 World Cup result and a 12th-place finish at the UCI Track World Championships.

The foundation for this success has been in selecting an MTE group that trains and competes together throughout the year. For 2016, the program is stepping up to the next level by bringing together 10 riders to train and compete as a Cycling Canada trade team for the entire season.

The team will race under the banner of Cycling Canada’s RaceClean anti-doping program. The 10 young riders and staff strongly believe in the importance of fair play, clean sport, and the obligation racers have to compete within the rules.

“The objective stays the same: To develop our Track Endurance program to be competitive at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; that’s a given,” said Jacques Landry, Cycling Canada’s High Performance Director. “But along the way, if we can develop a rider to be placed on a World Tour or a Professional Continental trade team, we will be happy to let him go. We are also very happy these 10 young riders will develop and advertise a philosophy close to the heart of our organization.”

The team is kicking off its 2016 campaign with a 10-week road block in Europe, starting with a training camp in the south of Spain before moving to Cycling Canada’s base in Belgium for the competition phase. This is a similar program to other successful team pursuit nations including Australia and Great Britain.

“It was very important for us to create a team to enable our riders to enter more races in Europe especially,” said Cycling Canada’s road development coach, Luc Arseneau. “We now have more than 90 days of racing planned over the next few months. To be honest, it’s been a long-time dream.”

Team RaceClean, along with director Arseneau and physiologist Emily Wood will start the season on April 3, racing the Inter-Club Scheldeprijs. After this season opener, they will stay in Europe to attend the UCI Nations Cups, followed by a string of stage races. Team RaceClean will then travel to Canada to make its first appearance on Canadian soil, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay (UCI 2.2).

After some rest and racing the Global Relay Canadian Championships, Team RaceClean will head back to Europe for some high level Belgium races such as the Tour de Liège and the Tour de Namur. Depending on the development of the new UCI Track Calendar, further races will be announced on the team’s calendar.

This program would not be possible without funding and support from the private sector.

“On the equipment side, the team will be well equipped with Canadian made Aquila bikes, RealSpeed wheels, Shimano components, as well as Pioneer power meters,” said Cycling Canada NextGen MTE coach Ian Melvin. “Louis Garneau will ensure the team’s clothing is as fast and aerodynamic as possible. Private donations were made to the program to complete the budget. Several Toronto-based attendee’s at the 2015 Tour de Bleu created an Aeroplan Beyond Miles account and donated points to enable us to save a significant amount of money on flights. Many people are backing this program, and we thank everyone for their support.”

TEAM RACECLEAN

Willem BOERSMA – Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
Evan BURTNIK – Edmonton, Alberta
Aidan CAVES – Vancouver, British Columbia
Alexander COWAN – Calgary, Alberta
William ELLIOTT – Barrie, Ontario
Adam JAMIESON – Barrie, Ontario
Jay LAMOUREUX – Victoria, British Columbia
Sean MACKINNON – Hamilton, Ontario
Bayley SIMPSON – Lindsay, Ontario
Edward WALSH – Halifax, Nova Scotia

Luc ARSENEAU – National Road Development Coach
Ian MELVIN – NextGen MTE Coach
Emily WOOD – Physiologist

SPONSORS

Aquila Bikes
Louis Garneau
Pioneer Cyclesports Power Meters
Real Speed Cycling wheels
Shimano

SPRING PROGRAM

Scheldeprijs, BEL – 1.IC
Tour of Flanders, BEL – 1.NCup
ZLM Tour, NED – 2.NCup
GP Affligem, BEL – 1.IC
Eschborn-Frankfurt, GER – 1.2U
Flèche du Sud, LUX – 2.2
Paris-Arras, FRA – 2.2
Tour de la Manche, FRA – 2.Nat
Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay, CAN – 2.2

March 29, 2016/by Communications